Guardian
by sunnytheslightlyawkwardgeek
Summary: (Pre-Katniss Hunger Games with my own characters.) Raven has dreamed of becoming a Victor all her life. But when her best friend is reaped she finds herself struggling to stay in control. They cannot survive together. What will she choose?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games and some of the characters in the story.  
_(I moved onto this story quite quickly, but I can see it taking a long time to write. Once again, I've created my own characters, but I'm still using some from the original story. Please review if you can give me any advice. Thanks)_

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

One after another, the knives embedded themselves in the bull's-eye of the target. At the noise, the door into the large, spacious training hall opened and a dark-haired woman peered in suspiciously. "Raven! Why aren't you ready?! The Reaping's in less than _two hours_! No more knife throwing! Go and get dressed. _Now_."

Raven, her daughter, reluctantly retrieved her knives from the board and began putting them into a padded black box. "I wish I could take you with me." She whispered sadly to them. "But I'll be back soon." But not today. Today was the day. Excitement and dread mixed in the pit of her stomach. She left the training hall without looking back, allowing the door to swing shut behind her with a final bang.

Half an hour later she stepped out of her house and joined the steady flow of people heading to District 2's square. Only the youngest children looked scared. She didn't know why. In this District you got a choice. If you wanted to go, you could volunteer. If you didn't want to, then someone would probably volunteer in your place. Personally, she didn't understand why anyone wouldn't want to go. It was honourable. She'd been training for more than half her life; at the age of seventeen, she was ready to represent her District, and her family. There was nothing she wanted to do more, than become a Victor. And this year, would be her year.

Everything seemed like a blur. She lined up with the other girls after having her blood taken. She was almost at the front, with a near-perfect view of the big screen before them. She knew the procedure by heart; listening to the clip and the district's escort seemed unnecessary by now. The woman talking on the platform's name was Rhianne, who had deep blue hair that shimmered different colours in the sun. She always had a shiny lipstick smile drawn on her face and spoke in a voice that was always _too_ happy. Matching navy shoes, puffy skirt and jacket accompanied her dazzling hair, and everything she wore seemed to glitter because of the intricate silver lines that covered the fabric. Most of the people waiting to be reaped were wearing their best clothes; but Raven doubted Rhianne was that protective of hers – she probably had hundreds more. She could have that, when she won, she thought.

"As usual, ladies go first!" Rhianne's voice rang out, bringing Raven back to the real world. "Isn't this exciting?"

Oh, if only she knew.

What were the odds of Raven's name being chosen? Not good enough, she thought.

That didn't matter. She was in control of her destiny. Not Rhianne, not the Capitol, not anyone but her. She held her breath, like every other adolescent in the country, as she watched the escort's hand cutting through the tiny slips of paper. In, out, in, out. Raven glanced to her left, where a younger girl had pushed through to be with her sister. The pair gripped hands tightly. Raven had no siblings, no one to protect but friends. The friends she had would be able to protect themselves. Except one, she reminded herself. One of her friends could never win, or even want to.

Nobody moved but Rhianne. No one breathed. A crying child near the back of the square hushed, affected by growing tension.

Suddenly, the woman's tanned arm retracted rapidly, one slip clutched between fingers with silver-painted fingernails. Slowly, the paper was unfolded.

"Gabrielle Hallen." A young, ginger-haired girl stepped forward unwillingly. She looked back, desperate for someone to snatch her back; saving her from the Games.

Raven smiled. "I volunteer as tribute."

She sauntered up to the platform, where Rhianne was beaming at her. District 2 began to clap. Gabrielle ran back to her mother, who hugged her and looked up at Raven gratefully, tears running down her face. Raven held back an expression of distaste for the two, knowing she could be seen by the whole of Panem. She hadn't done it for Gabrielle; she'd done it for herself. She looked up at her image on the screen and smiled inwardly. She was radiating confidence, the way she always had. Long, dark hair worthy of her own name fell in a straight, neat wave down her dress. Her father, who was incredibly wealthy, in relation to citizens from outside the Capitol, had bought it specially for the Reaping; it had a pale green top with buttons and sleeves like a shirt, and a deep green skirt that reached the knee, the same colour as her eyes. There was a thin leather belt around her waist which pinched in any extra fabric; Raven was very slim and muscular, due to her regular training. She was smaller than Rhianne, but she had already noticed the Capitol woman was wearing shoes with high heels, as thin as her knives' blades. The woman's well cared-for hand took her own and shook it firmly.

"Congratulations. What's your name, my dear?" the girl smiled straight at the camera.

"I'm Raven Karmandor. I'm honoured, thank you."

She stood aside for a minute, watching intently, as Rhianne got ready to select a male tribute. She watched the same hand she'd shaken rustle through the second glass ball, and searched through the sea of faces. She did not know who might volunteer. Not even a weak rumour had been told to her about the male tribute candidates. Who would it be?

Every face she looked at, from the youngest to eldest, was uncertain and tense. A small piece of her began to panic. Would District 2 have to take a weaker tribute? Her eyes darted between friends before her. They wouldn't have taken _tesserae_, would they? They hadn't accidentally threatened themselves?

Only if they'd thought there would be a volunteer, she thought darkly.

"Corin Essily."

She felt her heart lurch. _No_. It couldn't be. She struggled to keep her composure as a tall, familiar boy with dark auburn hair stepped from the crowd and was escorted by peacemakers up to the platform. She looked into his face. There was no emotion, just a mask. He was not proud, nor happy; simply resigned to his fate.

No one moved. _There were no volunteers._

"Hello, Raven." He said bitterly, with a weak smile.

Rhianne, oblivious, clapped in delight. "You two know each other? Well, that's wonderful! You'll have such an experience!"

For the first time that day, or ever, Raven wanted to scream and fight and claw her way out. As she shook hands with the boy, all thoughts of victory were gone.

Now, she would have to kill her best friend. Corin.

If she was to win, he would have to die.


	2. Chapter 2

Before she could say or do anything, the Reaping was done. Peacekeepers ushered her into a secure and splendid room, but she did not want to appreciate the luxuries. Her father was rich enough, being high up in the system that manufactured Capitol weapons. He even managed to get some for her training. She thought of the training room, less than two miles from where she stood, and wished she could start the day again and hope it went differently. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists in despair. There was a sharp knock on the door, before her parents pushed through and enveloped her in a huge hug.

"Honey, we're so proud of you." Her dad said tearfully, clapping her on the shoulder, before talking rapidly about celebrations and tactics. Raven looked up at his aging face that was filled with pride and happiness, and sighed. She couldn't let them down. They had no one else. Her mother noticed she was not joining in. "Raven?"  
She looked down at her feet. "Corin…" she whispered, ashamed.

Her mother clasped her hands tightly. "Raven, Corin will not fight. He wouldn't train with you, he's never watched the Games. It is his _choice_. He could have prepared, but he didn't." Raven blinked. She didn't understand.

"But what if I have to kill him? _He's my best friend_!" she blurted out in a panic. Her father sighed, reached out to stroke the back of her head. She buried her face in his shoulder. Moments like this were rare in the Karmandor household.

"And you are his friend. He will not blame you; this is your dream, Raven. Whatever you want, he will want for you. And if he refuses to fight anymore, I don't think it will be you that has to kill him." Slowly, he let go of his daughter.

Raven's mother looked at her daughter, and smiled. It was time. She reached around her own neck and unclasped a chain, pulling it out from beneath her dress. "You need a token of your district." She told her firmly, attaching the locket around the tribute's neck. Raven let the locket rest in her palm. It was a bronze oval locket, a K entwined with a 2 engraved on the front. Karmandor, District 2. Tears filled her eyes. This locket was her right. It was who she was. Carefully, she opened it. The smell of peppermint flowed to her nostrils, from behind the pictures of her mother and father. It reminded her of her grandmother, who had always smelled of it.

"Thank you." It was all she could say before the Peacekeepers entered, guiding her family to the door.  
"You can do it, Raven." Her mother's voice reached her just as the doors closed.  
She was alone.

Soon, she would leave her home for real. And so would Corin. But they would not return together. This was their last moment here, and they were separated. Furious, she slammed her palm against the wall. Tears ran down her cheeks. Was this how everyone else felt, when their children were taken away? Raven had always thought volunteering was a blessing, but now it felt like a curse. She sank to the floor and cried, on her own, for the friendship that she could not save.

Her green eyes met his brown ones as Peacekeepers allowed her to step on the train. She'd stopped crying a while ago, wanting to uphold her reputation for any camera the turned her way. She was an actress, and the Capitol would be her adoring audience. But Corin knew her better.

As soon as the train started moving, he took her away to his room, for privacy.

"You've been crying." He said, bewildered. She laughed bitterly at his surprise. She never thought she'd cry today either.

"No I haven't." she tried to sound nonchalant about it, but her voice was hoarse and she had to stifle another sob. Instead of asking questions, he pulled her close to him and held her. They stood together for an eternity, saying nothing; Raven knew they probably would never be like this again. The Games would tear them apart.

"What are we going to do?" she whispered.

"We're going to go and make an impression on the Capitol. They won't be seeing you crying." He replied firmly, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"And then what happens?"

He didn't meet her eyes. "And then you're going to win."

"Hey, are you two going to come out of there? The journey's not even that far, and I would like to talk to you before we get there." A voice warned from outside the room. Puzzled, Corin went to open the door. A powerfully-built woman with brown hair leaned on the wall outside. She stood straight, and at her full height was almost as tall as Corin; at least six feet tall. "About time." She said to herself, looking amused.

"Lyme." Raven stood up.

"Raven. Corin. Planning on joining me?" she turned and walked back to their main carriage. The two tributes followed her in, to find they were slowing down. They had reached their destination.

"Quick!" Raven raced to the window, using one hand to flip her hair into a more presentable style. Corin followed her; they waved at the Capitol citizens and blew kisses, all the while gripping each other's free hand beneath the glass pane. Hundreds of multi-coloured, vibrant, lively people cheered for them and already it seemed they had developed fans. One woman was wearing a black wig, and a short cloak made of black feathers; obviously Raven had already managed to set a trend.

So, thought Raven, this is the beginning.


	3. Chapter 3

[Same old disclaimer here, I don't own THG]

(_Hello, again. Hope you enjoy this chapter. It might be a little long, but I wanted to put the whole event together, if you know what I mean. I'm sorry I'm no IT genius - I wanted to send anyone who reviews a private message in answer but it wouldn't let me, so I'll say now: Thank you very much, and I don't think I'll have any sort of schedule to when I post chapters, I'll just do it as often as I can. In a couple of weeks I'll have more free time. Thanks again!)_

"Welcome to the Capitol." A voice purrs from somewhere behind Raven. She spins around, startled; clutching her thin robe to her to protect a little more of her dignity. Already, she had been stripped, plucked and thoroughly inspected by some kind, but a little annoying Capitol workers, and she felt way too exposed.

Despite her usual calm demeanour, Raven could not contain a gasp (part fascination, part horror) when she sees the woman standing behind her. The woman in question waited patiently, as if expectant, as the dark haired girl studied her indiscreetly and without embarrassment.

The woman's tanned face looked stretched, her tawny eyes too narrow, and her nose too flat, like a snout. Her skin didn't look that old, but it was obvious something had been done to it to make it look that way. There were black and gold stripes tattooed on her skin; real whiskers protruding from her face, though Raven was not sure how she'd got them. Were there more people in the Capitol like this?

"Welcome, Raven," her voice growled, apparently done waiting; Raven noticed, with a small shiver, that the woman's teeth were slightly pointed, like a cat's. "I will be your stylist, and my partner Orion will be Corin's. I'm sure there will be plenty I can do with a tribute as beautiful as you. My name is Tigris."

A slim hand with detailed, golden claws indicated she should sit on one of the black couches around the corner. They faced each other, and her stylist began to speak again. "Are you hungry? I think it's better to eat before the Parade - as long as the chariot doesn't make you ill?" She indicated to some plates of food which had appeared, and they sat and ate. Once Raven had finished - the food was delicious - she felt more comfortable. Tigris cleared her throat with a tiny growl, making Raven sit up in surprise. The stylist smiled.

"District 2 has many attributes, in stone, weaponry, building – and warriors." Raven stared at her, green eyes wide. "As you know," the strange, fascinating woman continued, "the parade will be tonight, and it is my first chance to help you make an impression. We – Orion, our assistants and I – want to portray you both as warriors, solid as a rock, stronger and prouder than the mountain in your own district. Soldiers of stone, if you like. Would you like to come and see?" she rose, and walked to a tall cylinder made of dark glass, which revolved to reveal its contents to the stylist.

Curious, Raven stood, and walked over to it. Her green eyes widened, and she unconsciously reached out a hand to touch it, but Tigris knocked it away gently.

"Let's get this on you first." She purred, apparently satisfied. Some assistants appeared from nowhere, and they began to take off her robe. Raven scowled, and Tigris snapped viciously. "No! Let her do it herself - she doesn't need your help." Grateful, Raven smiled at her, and her new friend began to talk her through the complicated process of styling. Soon, they were chatting away whilst Tigris made adjustments.  
_She might look like a tiger, but she's as friendly as a kitten, _Raven thought to herself as she listened.

Raven stared at herself in disbelief. She was wearing an intricately patterned suit of armour that looked like it was made of stone, but was incredibly lightweight. She had silver-grey boots laced up her calves, and matching wristbands reaching to her elbows. Resting on a nest of her shiny, perfectly braided hair which was arranged around her head was a crown of silver metal and marble, which glittered in the spotlight Tigris had put on her. An assistant ran a wet brush over her lips, coating them with a shiny red paint to finish her makeup. Raven's eyes in particular were set by smoky dark colours which flared out, forming a pair of wings behind her dark lashes. Slowly, Raven turned on the spot. She felt alive. She felt powerful.

Footsteps behind her caused her to turn around, to see a black door open and Corin walk in, followed by a man with blindingly white hair and silver skin, who she supposed must be Orion. But even the brightest of hair could not distract her from her best friend, who looked so unlike his usual self, she thought for a second it must be a trick.  
His hair, just long enough to grow into a wave, was slicked back and as impeccable as hers. He didn't have makeup, just some sort of highlights on his brow and cheek bones, making him look, older, more handsome than ever. Of course, Raven had never looked at him in any way other than brother and friend, but she couldn't deny his good looks. His brown eyes met her, and the corners of his mouth twitched as she stared, mouth slightly open.  
The armour made him look like a true warrior, though she knew he would never really want to be seen that way. His muscled arms were bare, showing his potential strength. While Raven had trained with swords and fighting, Corin had built himself up working on building sites with his father. Before, Corin would have wanted to grow up and become involved in buildings and architecture. Now, she just couldn't say.

The two of them were a sight to behold. The pride of District 2.

"You guys look _gorgeous!_" Orion sang from behind, ushering them out of the door. As the lift began to take them down to the bottom of the Remake Centre, Raven noticed he had thousands of tiny sparkles on his skin – just like stars. The stylist noticed her looking and flashed her a smile. "I got this done quite recently. Do you like it?" Actually, she did, though she wasn't quite sure why. She nodded, and he continued, "You guys can get tattoos done here as well. It could be something to remember your loved ones by, perhaps?"

Raven's eyes stared at him in surprise as he looked away. _Maybe some of the Capitol did understand. But she was going home soon. Everything would be ok. _  
She glanced across at her friend, whose expression was unreadable. _Even if I get home, nothing will be the same. _The lift stopped, and they filed out, Tigris leading, and Orion at their rear. The two tributes looked at each other, but they didn't need to say anything. Just being there, gave the friends the courage to keep walking.

"Remember, this is as important as your scores in training. Your outfits make you look like warriors; you have to _act _like them. Give them a good show." Lyme advised as the pair climbed into their chariot. Tigris looked on approvingly, checking the horses, who were a beautiful grey colour, were wearing their own accessories correctly. Raven couldn't quite believe the horses were as well-behaved as they looked on the screen. _I wonder who trains them, _she thought absently. Around her, some other tributes were getting ready. District 1 were ahead of them, covered in silk and gems and unimaginable riches. The girl, she knew, was called Ruby, and had little red gems strewn throughout her long blonde hair. The boy next to her looked back at them and smirked menacingly. What was his name again? She turned to look questioningly at Corin. He caught her gaze. "_Force."_ He mouthed to her, standing stiffly, holding the sides of the chariot, which also looked like it was made from stone and silver. "_Career."_

A bit like her then, even though the tributes weren't supposed to train. When asked, Raven's father had always described it as a hobby.

"Who wouldn't let their only daughter play with swords if she enjoyed it?" he would always joke. She swallowed, remembering how he used to clap and praise her when she did well. Would he cheer for her, when she took a child's life?

"Off we go!" Lyme's voice was the last thing she could really focus on, as the doors opened, and each chariot set off. There seemed to be thousands of people outside, screaming and cheering and calling out to their 'favourites'. Her knees shook a little, and she wobbled in the chariot, so she grasped the side with one hand and began to wave with the other, determined to get sponsors. Corin begins to copy her, although he still seems a little shaky. "Be brave. You look great." The dark-haired girl whispered to him from the corner of her mouth.

Images begin to show on the screens around them, of the other districts' costumes. She didn't manage to study all of them; District 3 looked as if they were covered in little pieces of wire and technology, 4 were in blue-green translucent robes which overlapped and rolled down into white puffy material, like a wave from the sea. The District 7 tributes wore interesting outfits woven from what looked like a great deal of leaves, and 8 wore elaborate clothes made from only the finest. She thought 9, 10 and 11 all looked fairly similar – all three districts had some involvement in farming; the poor tributes of District 12 seemed to be wearing nothing but dark dust, supposedly from coal. But she wasn't that bothered about the costumes- it was the tributes.

Most were within the older ages of tributes; she only saw six who looked twelve or thirteen – two boys and four girls. She couldn't believe their Districts hadn't put forward an older candidate – but then, not all the Districts were as forgiving, or as lucky, as District 2. The tributes from Districts 1, 2 and 4 looked the strongest, as usual – in their warrior outfits, District 2 must have looked the most formidable.  
The Capitol certainly seemed to think this; they were actually screaming Raven and Corin's names, throwing flowers and feathers towards them. Raven smiled at their almost childish sense of humour, picking up a long, dark feather to stick in her hair.

Finally, the chariots pulled up in front of the President's mansion. The crowd's noise died down, allowing the tributes to hear the music that had been playing before it finally stopped. Raven's heart was racing and she couldn't concentrate anymore, certainly not on the President, who gave a similar speech every year to the tributes. Instead, she felt the dark-coloured rose she had caught from one of the people in the crowd. Seeing the camera was set on her, she kissed it and held it close to her chest. Hopefully the original owner would be willing to give her a hand later on.

Raven takes the time to discreetly glance around at the other tributes again. She sees that, at five foot seven, she's only taller than the youngest tributes, although she looks a lot healthier and has a lot more knowledge from training than she assumes the others will have. Corin, she can't help but notice, is in a similar strong position; he's the tallest apart from Force, from what she can tell, and his work has made him stronger.  
_Still vulnerable though, if he decides he can't do this, _she thinks sombrely.

The chariots start to move again and she is jolted from her thoughts. The tributes parade once more around before heading towards the training centre. Raven looks around at the Capitol once more. _In a few days, I'll be in the arena. I might never see any of this again.  
_So she holds the rose high above her head, and calls back to the Capitol, earning her a louder response. She turns all around in the chariot, managing to stay upright and steady, whilst keeping both hands of the sides, blowing kisses and waving to all.

_Remember me, _she pleads silently as the carriages draw out of sight.


	4. Chapter 4

_[Sorry, it has been a while, and I've still not got to the action. Details, details... But I am going to try and post more frequently now, so I hope you enjoy the last few bits before the _action. _Leave a review if you have any opinions - thanks!]_

"Good morning, Corin, you obviously slept well! Now that you're both up, let's eat! You've got a busy day ahead today – it's your first training session!" Rhianne chirped as Corin entered the dining room of District 2's apartment, causing Raven to spin away from the window and scan the room before spotting him. Everything was bold, rich and so, so perfect here, she thought constantly. Themed with colours of black, blue and silver, the whole of the second floor was impeccably clean and tidy, with everything Raven could ever have wished for: soft beds, comfortable couches, piping hot showers and magnificent views were only a few of the things she could name. And there was technology for everything under the sun. What did people actually do around here, when everything was done at the press of a button? Perhaps a Victor's life would be richer than she had thought before.  
Bringing herself out of her thoughts, she went to sit down for another meal; the food being another of the things she had embraced eagerly in the Capitol. Last night was a blur, but after the parade she and Corin had eaten like royalty. She moved from her spot at the window to sit next to her friend, who was running his hands through wavy, dark auburn hair, and eyeing the table in anticipation.

The chairs in the dining area were a stylish black material which was incredibly thin, twisted into a seat, and yet surprisingly strong. The table Raven was seated at was long, shiny and flawless; and more importantly laden with all sorts of delicious-smelling, exotic-looking foods. She had to admit, despite missing her home and family, that the Capitol was beautiful. Even though she had so much to think about, she had never slept as well as she had in her room, which was full of beautiful pictures, clothes, furniture and a bed softer than anything she could imagine. Corin was still dressed in clothes similar to what she had slept in, so she guessed they had been assigned matching sleepwear. Now, she wore a thin but warm blue tunic belted tightly at the waist over a pair of soft dark leggings and leather sandals.

She looked around the table. Corin, Rhianne, Tigris, Lyme and Orion were already eating, but she didn't know where to start. Noticing her hesitation, her friend turned to her.

"Try one of these – I know you'll love them." He coaxed, handing her a platter of golden brown balls of soft bread. Smiling a little, Raven reached out to take one before biting into it, somewhat tentatively, whilst Corin waited expectantly. After a first pleasant taste of soft, sweet bread, a look of surprise lit her face as rich, glorious chocolate oozed into her mouth. "Amazing." She muttered to herself as she helped herself to another, grinning at Corin. The two carried on eating, encouraged by the lighter mood. Lyme cleared her throat and the two looked up.

"As Rhianne said, today is the first day of training. It is my job to help you with it in every way I can, so you can get a good score in your private sessions on the third day, and then _hopefully _go on and defend yourself in the Games. Besides your skills helping you to survive, you're much more likely to get the sponsors to help you, and save your life, if you have a good score – they want to back the winner, remember? So, to start off, do you want to train together, or separately?"  
Before Raven could finish her mouthful and speak, Corin replied. "Raven already knows a lot about fighting, and I don't. I'd only end up slowing her down – she wants to impress everyone, doesn't she? So we'll train separately." Lyme nodded and rose from her seat, allowing a dark-haired woman who had not yet spoken nor moved to come and clear her place. Suddenly not hungry, Raven pushed her plate towards the woman and followed Lyme towards a seating area in the centre of the room, Corin close behind.

"I could help you!" she hissed to him, as she flung herself down onto a sofa. Lyme looked at her disapprovingly, but out of the corner of her eye, Raven thought she saw Tigris look rather thoughtfully at her from where she was leaning on a large marble column with Orion, talking quietly.

"No, if he's right about your _talents_, then you'd better not train together. If anything, you'd make him look worse. People would compare you and begin to target him."

Abashed, Raven looked down at her hands, silent. Satisfied, Lyme carried on.

"So, what can you two do?" Corin looked down at his hands silently, biting his lip in what could only be nervousness. Raven resisted the urge to comfort him.

"I'm quick, fairly strong and I can use most weapons: swords, a bow, throwing knives, a spear…" she began to list, without a hint of arrogance in her voice. Lyme held up a hand, and she stopped abruptly, whilst the other adults in the room stopped to stare at her.

"I think," Lyme said slowly, "that I should train _you_ privately. _Completely _privately." She added, before anyone else could speak. Sullenly, Raven looked down at the floor, annoyed by her dismissal. The mentor's eyes narrowed immediately, seeing her near rebellious manner.

"You want to win? Well, _listen to me_," she snapped suddenly, moving in a flash to grasp Raven's chin with strong, thin fingers. "You will be - you _need to be _-separate from everyone, _especially_ Corin. You will dress differently, you won't speak to him outside of this apartment, and you don't acquaint yourself with anyone. Understand?"

With a bitter taste in her mouth, Raven wrenched her face free and nodded, sending ripples down her long, black hair. She could see her best friend looking at her from his seat, but she refused to meet his eye. This was his fault, she knew. She would have _happily_ trained with him and he knew it.

"Actually, we like to work with themed outfits." Tigris interrupted, with an almost menacing tone to her purr. Lyme's head snapped to look at her, but the stylist didn't flinch.

"Fine, but tone it down during training." She replied gruffly. "Raven, go and wait in your room. Tigris will go through some clothes with you while I talk to Corin."

Raven tried to look calm as she left the room, but as soon as she was out of sight she ran as fast as she could to her room and slammed the door behind her. None of this was turning out how it was supposed to. She had thought all this would be easy. But training hadn't even started and she already felt alone. For the first time she realised that not only would Corin and her be separated by the end of the Games, but their friendship would die in the Capitol. She would lose her closest companion, the closest to a brother she'd ever get. There was nothing she could do. She remembered Orion talking about tattoos, and wondered if she could have one to remind her of their bond. But surely Lyme would forbid it. It was hopeless.

Quick, clear footsteps alerted the girl to somebody approaching. It was probably one of the avoxes, she thought. Rhianne had said they were traitors, but Raven didn't think they looked particularly threatening. Instead of thinking of them like that, she simply thought of them as silent servants. Silent or not, they couldn't see her in this state. Hastily, she wiped her eyes and face with the back of her hand and shook her hair out into something she hoped looked presentable. Right on cue, Tigris swept in through the door, followed by another one of the 'silent servants' who was carrying clothes. Raven stood up immediately, but Tigris held up a finger, silencing her before she knew what to say.

"No, I don't know why you can't train together, and quite frankly, it's not my problem." She said firmly to her, tawny eyes fixed on her green. "My job is not to hear about your battle woes, it's to dress you for them. You know that any relationship you two might have had at home is unimportant here, so why are you trying to preserve it? I have never known a volunteer as confident as you to be so shaken up by something like this. You're getting upset for all the wrong reasons - and I can't help you at all, so don't bother asking me. I'm not wasting my time doing Rhianne's job."

Raven stood open-mouthed as the stylist unfastened the buttons on her tunic and pulled away her belt, speechless. Everything Tigris had said made perfect sense. She didn't speak until she had been dressed in a tight black and silver top that stretched and adjusted itself with her every movement, and equally flexible grey leggings. Once the woman who was helping Tigris had laced both of the tough, but comfortable leather boots all the way up her calves, she tested her outfit a little, bouncing a couple of times on her toes before throwing an imaginary knife, dropping and rolling to the side. When she rose, she found herself once again focused on her task. Training. Fighting. Winning the Games.

"Thank you, this is perfect." She admitted to her stylist, a little sheepishly, who was stood with her arms folded, watching. Tigris nodded and twitched her whiskers a little in response. She motioned with a clawed finger for her to turn around so she could tie her straight, black hair into a long, smart ponytail.

"I want you to listen to Lyme about Corin. It's not worth it, Raven." Tigris purred persuasively from behind her. "I've done this job for many Games, and I know a winner when I see one. You don't need Corin, or any of the tributes there. You need to focus, and _friends, _no matter who they are, won't help you this time."

"Exactly." Lyme's voice replied nonchalantly.

Raven spun around to see her mentor leaning casually against the door. She hadn't even heard the woman come in. "Lyme, I'm sorry, I – "  
"I understand, Raven. I was a tribute once, you know." Relieved, Raven let out a small sigh. "I'm ready now. What do you want me to do?"

"Quarter to ten, people! Come on, now!" Rhianne's voice was getting higher in pitch, the more tense she got. The training started at ten, and District 2 was never late. Raven was already stood by the crystal elevator, alert and ready after her talk with Lyme. She breathed deeply and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder as the blue-haired woman came around the corner with Corin close behind, dressed in a pale blue shirt and loose brown trousers. She noticed, uncomfortably, that he looked pale, and was already sweating. Again, she immediately felt she should comfort him, but pushed the thought away again, Lyme's face fixed in her mind. Seeing her glance at him, Corin smiled nervously back at her, but she kept her face blank and focused instead on her instructions for the training. _"If you're skilled in weapons, look to the survival skills to learn, but don't forget to practise combat. Work to intimidate, but keep your tricks in your sleeve."_

She breathed deeply as they got in the elevator. This would be her comfort zone – there was no need to panic. Her eyes flew open as the doors shut, allowing her a last glimpse of Tigris, whose satisfied smile calmed her thoughts once more. They began the decline down to the underground levels where the training would take place. She looked out at the Capitol and smiled to herself. Everything was fine.  
On the other side of their escort, Corin swallowed and bit his lip hard. Blood trickled onto his tongue, leaving him with both an ache in his heart and a bitter, bitter taste in his mouth.


End file.
